An electric vehicle (“EV”) is driven by using the electric energy of a high voltage battery to drive the vehicle, and also charges the battery.
An electric vehicle uses a battery as a main power source, and drives a motor using the power from the battery to obtain a driving force necessary for a vehicle.
A high-voltage battery is often used as the battery installed in such an electric vehicle.
In general, a passenger electric vehicle is equipped with a battery of about 360 V. Unlike passenger electric vehicles, a commercial electric vehicle such as an electric bus has a high-voltage system of 600 V or more. However, in such a commercial electric vehicle, when the output of the driving motor is high so that a low voltage is used, the efficiency may be lowered due to high current, and a problem may occur in safety.
In addition, when a high voltage of 600 V or more is used, due to a limitation of the charging standard, it is impossible to use the charger for an existing passenger vehicle and an expensive charger is required for a commercial electric vehicle.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus for controlling the charging of an electric vehicle, which is capable of charging a battery of a commercial electric vehicle using a charger for a passenger electric vehicle.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus for controlling the charging of an electric vehicle, which is capable of charging a battery of a commercial electric vehicle using a charger for a passenger electric vehicle and meeting the voltage system requirements of a commercial electric vehicle by connecting chargers for a passenger electric vehicle in series to each other.
The technical problems to be solved by the present inventive concept are not limited to the aforementioned problems, and any other technical problems not mentioned herein will be dearly understood from the following description by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for controlling the charging of an electric vehicle includes a switch unit including a first relay and a plurality of second relays, wherein the first relay is arranged on an electric line through which a first battery is connected in series to a second battery, the first battery and the second battery are capable of supplying driving power for the electric vehicle, and the plurality of second relays are arranged on charging lines through which charging power is supplied to the first battery and the second battery, respectively, and a control unit configured to control the first relay and the plurality of second relays such that the first relay can be turned off and the plurality of second relays can be turned on to supply the charging power of a charger connected to a charging terminal to the first battery and the second battery, respectively, when the first battery and the second battery are charged.
The switch unit may include a first connector that connects one of the output terminals, to which the driving power of the first battery and the second battery is output, to the first charging terminal and a first terminal of the first battery, respectively, a second connector that connects the second charging terminal to a second terminal of the first battery, a third connector that connects the first charging terminal to the first terminal of the second battery, and a fourth connector that connects one of the output terminals and the second charging terminal to the second terminal of the second battery.
The second connector and the third connector may be connected to each other through an electric line, and the first relay may be arranged on the electric line.
When the first battery and the second battery are charged, the first terminal of the first battery and the first terminal of the second battery may be electrically connected to the first charging terminal through the first connector and the third connector, respectively, and the second terminal of the first battery and the second terminal of the second battery may be electrically connected to the second charging terminal through the second connector and the fourth connector, respectively.
While the first battery and the second battery are charged, the control unit may adjust a voltage balance between the first battery and the second battery by controlling the plurality of second relays such that the plurality of second relays are turned on or off respectively, when a voltage difference between the first battery and the second battery occurs.
When the first battery is fully charged and a voltage difference between the first battery and the second battery occurs, the control unit controls the second relay arranged on the charging line connected to the first battery such that the second relay is turned off and controls the second relay arranged on the charging line connected to the second battery such that the second relay is turned on.
The apparatus may further include a coupler having one end connected to the plurality of second relays and an opposite end connected to a plurality of charging terminals.
When the driving power of the first battery and the second battery is output through first and second output terminals through which the driving power of the first battery and the second battery is output, the control unit may control the first relay such that the first relay is turned on and the plurality of second relays such that the plurality of second relays are tuned off.
The driving power of the first battery and the second battery may be output, a second terminal of the first battery may be electrically connected to a first terminal of the second battery through the first relay. In addition, a first terminal of the first battery may be electrically connected to the first output terminal, and a second terminal of the second battery may be electrically connected to the second output terminal.
Each voltage capacity of the first battery and the second battery may be approximately half a voltage capacity of a commercial electric vehicle.
Each of the first battery and the second battery may have a range of voltage from 250 V to 420 V.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for controlling the charging of an electric vehicle includes a switch unit including a first relay and a plurality of second relays, wherein the first relay is arranged on an electric line through which a first battery is connected in series to a second battery, the first battery and the second battery are capable of supplying driving power for the electric vehicle, and the plurality of second relays are arranged on a charging line through which charging power is supplied to the first battery or the second battery, and a control unit configured to control the first relay and the plurality of second relays such that the first relay can be turned off and the plurality of second relays can be turned on to supply the charging power supplied from a plurality of chargers to the first battery or the second battery, respectively, when the first battery and the second battery are charged.
The switch unit may include a first connector that connects an output terminal, to which the driving power of the first battery and the second battery is output, and a first charging terminal to a first terminal of the first battery, respectively, a second connector that connects the first charging terminal to a second terminal of the first battery, a third connector that connects a second charging terminal to a first terminal of the second battery, and a fourth connector that connects the output terminal and an second charging terminal to a second terminal of the second battery.
The second connector and the third connector may be connected to each other through an electric line, and the first relay may be arranged on the electric line.
When the first battery and the second battery are charged, the first terminal and the second terminal of the first battery may be electrically connected to the first charging terminal through the first connector and the second connector, and the first terminal and the second terminal of the second battery may be electrically connected to the second charging terminal through the third connector and the fourth connector.
When the driving power of the first battery and the second battery is output through output terminals through which the driving power of the first battery and the second battery is output, the control unit may control the first relay such that the first relay is turned on and the plurality of second relays such that the plurality of second relays are turned off.
When the driving power of the first battery and the second battery is output, a second terminal of the first battery may be electrically connected to a first terminal of the second battery through the first relay. In addition, a first terminal of the first battery may be electrically connected to a first output terminal, and a second terminal of the second battery may be electrically connected to an output terminal.
Each voltage capacity of the first battery and the second battery may be approximately half a voltage capacity of a commercial electric vehicle.
According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for controlling the charging of an electric vehicle includes a switch unit including a first relay and a plurality of second relays, wherein the first relay is arranged on an electric line through which a first battery is connected in series to a second battery, the first battery and the second battery are capable of supplying driving power for the electric vehicle, and the plurality of second relays are arranged on charging lines through which charging power of a first voltage is supplied to the first battery and the second battery respectively, a first charging terminal connected to a charger of the first voltage, a second charging terminal connected to a charger of a second voltage, which is higher than the first voltage, and a control unit configured to control the first relay and the plurality of second relays such that the first relay can be turned off and the plurality of second relays can be turned on, when the first battery and the second battery are charged with the charging power supplied from the first charging terminal, and to control the first relay and the plurality of second relays such that the first relay is turned on and the plurality of second relays are turned off when the first battery and the second battery are charged with the charging power supplied through the second charging terminal.
The first voltage may be half the second voltage.